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Bicycle thread

I posted the first pic of the superstar here, but can't find the post.

I hear you. It is toxic. There are however a few good people over there with whom I'd like to continue an online relationship. I still follow them there.
If you sent the core group a private invitation to migrate over here, I bet most would join us.
As a bonus, if there were more actual bicyclists posting, I wouldn’t feel obligated to make random comments to keep this thread from dying from inactivity.
 
What is an actual bicyclist? Does wheel size or intended use make a difference?
 
Just heard that Shimano may be continuing on the mechanical 105 for 12-speed systems. That's pretty cool.

For some dumb reason I've got the most minor itch to buy a new entry-level road bike to road bike A1A again. I know what I was, I know what I have degraded to now, and I think I'd be more than comfortable on a modern bike with Shimano mechanical 105 groupset in 11 speed - or perhaps 12.

Dream bike: Canyon Aero Road - but I don't think I would be comfortable enough in that high-saddle, low-handlebar position at all anymore. I would need something along the lines of whatever they call 'relaxed geometry' or 'endurance' geometry ... which seems to mean bikes that are a shitload less exciting.

But then there's the caveat that my industry is crashing hard now, and that I shouldn't be buying anything for at least the next year.

-------

For the last couple of years I've had a low white blood cell count on blood tests. We don't know what that is from. They were supposed to have done a comprehensive, "test everything," blood test from the doctor's office late 2022, but somehow they only tested for a very few things. Good news is that I don't have HIV, lol - as if. They claimed there was a mistake and that the "test everything" test orders were ignored / cancelled / lost. I wonder if they weren't being truthful with me as there is a huge gay community around the hospital that that doctor's office is connected to, and "low white blood cell count" automatically meant "test only for HIV because that's probably what it is around here" ?

Anyway, I went to give more blood at a Quest Diagnostics place this morning, so I guess we shall see. Folate, B-12 and testosterone weren't covered by the doctor's diagnosis / whatever, so I'll have to pay for those three cash unless the doctor can change what she wrote.
 
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If you sent the core group a private invitation to migrate over here, I bet most would join us.
As a bonus, if there were more actual bicyclists posting, I wouldn’t feel obligated to make random comments to keep this thread from dying from inactivity.


I went through the tedious process for account deactivation and anonymisation (it doesn't work btw) and don't have an account there now.

You could put a link in your advr signature.
 
What is an actual bicyclist? Does wheel size or intended use make a difference?

If you need to ask...

You're not what I'd call a cyclist, but I am not going to hold that against you. :imaposer
 
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Hey folks. Found it.

I'll get to the bicycle stuff here at the beach come tomorrow. Today, I'm wearing my fingers out cleaning up the nasty spokes on my 990R.

IMG_2743-X2.jpg


Bicycles in the background count right?
 
I’ve owned a 950 and two 990’s and on all three of them the spokes on the front wheels rusted.
I rode my fat bike in the dunes this afternoon. The ocean is in an angry mood. But a southwest wind at 20 to 30 knots will do that.
Oh and welcome aboard
 
Just heard that Shimano may be continuing on the mechanical 105 for 12-speed systems. That's pretty cool.

For some dumb reason I've got the most minor itch to buy a new entry-level road bike to road bike A1A again. I know what I was, I know what I have degraded to now, and I think I'd be more than comfortable on a modern bike with Shimano mechanical 105 groupset in 11 speed - or perhaps 12.

Dream bike: Canyon Aero Road - but I don't think I would be comfortable enough in that high-saddle, low-handlebar position at all anymore. I would need something along the lines of whatever they call 'relaxed geometry' or 'endurance' geometry ... which seems to mean bikes that are a shitload less exciting.

But then there's the caveat that my industry is crashing hard now, and that I shouldn't be buying anything for at least the next year.

-------

For the last couple of years I've had a low white blood cell count on blood tests. We don't know what that is from. They were supposed to have done a comprehensive, "test everything," blood test from the doctor's office late 2022, but somehow they only tested for a very few things. Good news is that I don't have HIV, lol - as if. They claimed there was a mistake and that the "test everything" test orders were ignored / cancelled / lost. I wonder if they weren't being truthful with me as there is a huge gay community around the hospital that that doctor's office is connected to, and "low white blood cell count" automatically meant "test only for HIV because that's probably what it is around here" ?

Anyway, I went to give more blood at a Quest Diagnostics place this morning, so I guess we shall see. Folate, B-12 and testosterone weren't covered by the doctor's diagnosis / whatever, so I'll have to pay for those three cash unless the doctor can change what she wrote.

I think among the posts nuked when Austin broke the internet I mentioned 8000 Ultegra 11 to 12 speed conversions with new cassette, chain, chain rings, jockey wheels, FD guide and replacement selector drum for the levers. There is a demand for it from people who want high end mechanical groups. I want mechanical groups (mix of Ultegra and GRX 800) for the steel and Ti frames I build and the bikes further up the scale from entry level bikes. If I am assembling a Pinarello (eg Prince) intended for racing for one of the girls then Di2 doesn't bother me... but I curse wireless. It would only matter if they could eliminate brake cables or hoses. One battery is enough.

Aeroad has long and low geometry. It is a poor choice for anyone who is not a masochist. Not a good climbing bike. Fine in SE Florida, hopeless in SE France. For me it is only good for crits and playing in traffic. Put on a disk wheel, a straight block and 53 ring, find a motoslave for pacing and go like hell in morning traffic along the lake. There is nothing left after an hour of that.

You don't have HIV... that is good news! But if you received a bill for that I'd suggest looking for another doctor. :dunno
 
Got my bicycle ride in today.

IMG_2746-X2.jpg


Second day after the rain meant clear blue sky. I rode up to Santa Margarita and back. Pushed hard enough on the big hill to get my HR up and the tape says I spent an hour twenty in Hard according the HR map. About a third of that in Peak and Cardio both. Half of those two in Fat Burn. I should be burning more fat than pretending to be a hard guy, but I'll take the ability to push hard.

Plenty of cycling traffic out and about and the first time there were people to chase and catch over and over on my route. That keeps my dog chasing the postman brain working my body hard.
About 3:20. I've taken to skipping the catholic school underpass part of the route to avoid the car traffic. I've found that to improve my mood. Apparently the bomb cyclones are lined up to hit the west coast and we are supposed to begin seeing rain again Tuesday. I'll try for another ride tomorrow.
 
I wonder how much of the cycling traffic now is New Year's resolutions that'll soon be forgotten.

No riding today... I am exhausted after the Christmas holiday. Older girls are back at school, #2 munchkin is looked after, adopted #3 and #4 munchkins were in early looking for something to eat and went back to bed with full bellies. I don't normally cope well with small children, but these five and seven year olds are easy. I think they are already much older than their years. Carers came in and I got a 45 minute swim in a little while ago. I'll be in the gym soon.

Weekend rides were low intensity (for me) cruises with the mum and noob groups. About 80km each. Still some climbing and I worked with and encouraged the tail while fast riders and ebikes battled out the front. No drop rides and they always come back. Snow through all the passes now. Rideable in winter gear but it is not for everyone. It is the indoor track where it is all happening. It is warm and it is fast, a lot of fun and people interact with each other in meat space. There is a window of a couple of hours before dinner where it is busiest and a good opportunity for unscheduled workout.
 
The weather at this end of the state is supposed to be okay ish today so a bicycle ride is going to happen.
The wind damage around here over the last week is mind blowing.
I took a quick survey of our moto clubs trail system yesterday. The downed trees are in the hundreds.
Healthy 2 foot diameter redwoods snapped off or up rooted everywhere.
Supposed to have had wind to 65 mph last night so probably more on the ground today.
I haven’t looked at our mtn bike clubs trail system yet but I’m guessing it is the same or worse.
 
The weather at this end of the state is supposed to be okay ish today so a bicycle ride is going to happen.
The wind damage around here over the last week is mind blowing.
I took a quick survey of our moto clubs trail system yesterday. The downed trees are in the hundreds.
Healthy 2 foot diameter redwoods snapped off or up rooted everywhere.
Supposed to have had wind to 65 mph last night so probably more on the ground today.
I haven’t looked at our mtn bike clubs trail system yet but I’m guessing it is the same or worse.
Sounds rough. That weather will eventually end up here..maybe.
 
Yesterday was supposed to be a speed run on the gravel. ~26 miles, just stay in the zone the entire time and go for it. I even had us do a pre-ride warm-up spin on the pavement before the run.

Something went very wrong on my end... I averaged 15.7 MPH, and she averaged 17.8 MPH. My body had been fighting something light throughout the week, and the only remnant of the issue was unmentionable - but I couldn't stay in zone four or five, and just past the half-way immediate turn-around I got a case of the chills (temp 77 degrees, mix of sun and clouds during the ride). Now I did give more blood for testing on Friday - like seven thin vials or so - but I don't think that should have affected me. I really don't know.

Oh yeah, and then there's the knees issue. I don't think that internal knee inflammation slowed me down, but I played Pickleball for the first time the weekend before. All last week I was reminded via pain that I screwed up the internals of my knees in a severe MTB accident I had in the 1990's. But was it that, or was walking on angled surfaces (like the beach at the ocean's edge) and stairs made very painful from only really on focusing on cycling as rehab after the two bouts of covid and the foot surgery? It could very well have been just the fact that I hadn't really run/jogged since 2019, and using my legs/knees for being springy on a tennis-court just hurt from not being conditioned to use 'em. So I have an appointment with a physical therapist later today. I am concerned that they will be only able to focus on muscle rebuilding instead of strengthening knees that should have had surgery back in the day. But I don't know what I don't know, so I'm about to try.
 
I don't know if I've already posted in this thread cuz I'm getting old and from what I can tell there's no indicator to show I have?

Which is just me setting you up for a little deja vu if I already put this here...

So anyway, for a lot of years I wanted to build up a Schwinn Typhoon frame with an IGH and some more modern stuff. I had other ideas for that sort of thing, but put those off too mostly because, you know, motorcycles and stuff.

Flash forward to the day I saw an old Typhoon frame sitting out with the trash. Let it be at first, because I didn't really need any more projects. But then I was telling someone about it and decided I'd go see if it was still there. It was, so I made sure it wasn't, and the next thing you know I'm buying parts and more bikes and joining bicycle forums and volunteering at a local bicycle co-op.

Here's how the Typhoon ended up. More or less. I've changed a couple things since I took this shot but you get the idea. Not shown is the violet colored Schwinn Breeze I bought solely to get it's two speed kickback hub to put on this.
Typhoon_6663.jpg


I also bought a 1956 Schwinn Racer (I was a mechanic in a Schwinn shop for about ten years starting in the late '70s). I bought it because of the fin on the front fender and the old school graphics. This is an after shot. It didn't even roll when I bought it.
Racer_6863.jpg


And then I wasted way too much money on a POS bike I had been "looking for" for ages. A 1988 Rock Hopper Comp in the next size larger frame because the one I bought new was too small for me.
RHCII_6352.jpg


I musta been high when I bought it. It's trashed, I paid way too much, and when push comes too shove... it's too big for me to ride off road. There's a reason I bought the smaller one way back when. The "new" one has been put back together as a six speed with cruiser bars and smooth tires. I don't have any pictures though because it's a bike of shame... I should have never bought it, certainly for not as much as I paid. (which on the other hand is chump change in Ducati money...)

And finally I got the frame from a 1962 Schwinn Racer, but it's a single speed frame. I may look for another kickback hub for it or maybe run with a single speed Bendix coaster. Time will tell...
 
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